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Wapda chief, heads of power companies to go

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, while chairing a high-level meeting on the energy crisis, decided to remove the Wapda chairman and heads of the power distribution companies (discos) and vowed to take effective measures to utilise all available resources to rid the country of the crippling energy crisis, which has badly affected the economy.

He was presiding over a meeting on the energy situation at the State Guest House where he was given a detailed briefing on the energy situation in the country. He said that unannounced loadshedding and power theft would not be tolerated at any cost.

He called for getting rid of incompetent officials as well as useless machines to put the country on road to development for bringing Pakistan at a par with the developed nations.A plan regarding reduction in unannounced loadshedding duration on monthly basis was also presented to the PM. “I have to put in place such initiatives that keep industrial wheel and the fan of everyone’s home moving,” said Nawaz.

The energy sector is one of the major priorities of the PML-N government which would take all stakeholders on board to overcome the shortage, he added.The government has planned to retire gradually the power sector’s huge circular debt to streamline the electricity generation chain that would bring loadshedding under control.

Nawaz directed the authorities concerned to determine the viability of all electricity projects besides estimating and evaluating the financial requirements for their implementation.The prime minister also stressed the need for expediting work on the projects to ensure electricity generation at a low cost.

Earlier, PM Nawaz Sharif arrived in Lahore on Thursday on his first visit to the provincial metropolis after taking oath as the chief executive of the country. Punjab Governor Ahmed Mehmood welcomed the prime minister at old airport on his first arrival in the city.Senator Pervaiz Rashid and Senator Ishaq Dar accompanied the prime minister.